A Belgravia children’s home offers a range of support to struggling Athlone school pupils.
Leliebloem House’s free adolescent development programme runs for 10 sessions and offers life skills, help with school work, mentoring, parenting workshops, leadership training, behavioural management and activities such as hikes and camps.
Leliebloem is a non-profit organisation and a residential child and youth care centre for 60 children, aged from 4 to 18, from troubled families and backgrounds.
The home’s former director, Shereen Gorvalla, came up with the idea for the programme, which started in 2005 and now, supported by funding from the provincial Department of Social Development, runs in ten primary and high schools in Athlone for children with learning and behavioural difficulties.
Programme facilitator Lebohang Ntsie said they hoped to include more schools in Athlone in the near future.
“We are working in the ‘circle of courage’, which consists of four quadrants – belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. Many children who have succeeded on the programme go and pursue good careers and even become entrepreneurs,” he said.
Programme manager Richard September said children from broken homes often faced a range of psychological issues but instead of getting the help they needed at school were dismissed as problem children.
At the same time, he said, teenage pregnancy was increasing and parental support was often non-existent.
“The programme walks the road with the adolescents as they grow. In most cases, our young people need support and attachment, which they don’t get at home, at school, or in their communities.
“Within our communities, our young people are dying as a result of gang violence and other social ills. They are struggling at schools, can’t read or write and we expect them to become fully functioning productive members of society.”
The programme also addressed the labelling of young people and the relationship between pupils and teachers, he said.
“The children love the programme. They love the camps where they can be themselves away from stigmas and judging. They get motivated and develop a passion for a talent which they focus on.”
Leliebloem’s marketer, Carla Stewart, said the programme was much needed in the community.
“This programme should be in every school because it changes and transforms lives. It gives children the opportunity to change their lives and grow. They are exposed to a different world out there.”
Athwood Primary School principal Evan Petersen said he had noticed an improvement in the behaviour of children who participate in the programme.
“The most important lesson pupils took from the programme was to change their behaviour both inside and outside of the classroom. I recommend this programme to other schools.”